


Under A Pirate Flag

by Dorkangel



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean
Genre: AU, Childhood, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-20 00:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1490758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorkangel/pseuds/Dorkangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Elizabeth Swann and her father have to depart suddenly, and she finds herself deep in conversation with a certain cabin boy...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under A Pirate Flag

**Author's Note:**

> An AU in which (please ignore the age differences, they make my head spin) Elizabeth and Governor Swann must sail to Port Royal aboard the Black Pearl, where Jack's father is captain and he and Will are cabin boys

She had been sitting, writing, in her bedroom, perfectly calmly, when her father had rushed in, grabbed her hand and led her hurriedly outside. Elizabeth Swann managed, as usual, to maintain an extraordinary air of calm about her as they ran out of the back door from the house. "Father, where are we going?!"  
"That Captain Norrigton made an attempt on my life. I do believe he was drunk, but we really have to go. A man named Cutler Beckett made out that I'd shot him, and now they're going to try and arrest me. Or, more likely, shoot me."  
"You didn't shoot him then, honestly?"  
"Elizabeth," he said, sinking seriously to one knee so he and her were closer in height. "If I had, I would answer for my crimes before the law. But I have not"- and here he stood up, grabbing her hand again. "And I will not. We shall have to make our journey to the Caribbean a little early. All the things are packed, I believe, and a good friend of mine has got us passage on board a merchant ship."  
"What friend?"  
"Joshamee Gibbs, he was Norrington's bosun. He saw the whole thing, you see. A good man indeed."  
They arrived on a quiet dock quickly enough, not another man in sight until one stepped out from next to a pub, waving a hand in greeting to her father. "That's him. Come, Elizabeth."  
It was a longer walk to the ship than they had expected. By the time they got there, Elizabeth was much more awake than she had been, noticing every little detail.  
For example, how dirty and unsafe this part of the docks seemed, and how comfortable Joshamee Gibbs seemed with it.  
"Mr Gibbs, are you sure this is perfectly safe?"  
"Honestly, Mr Swann, no. But aboard the ship it will be, that I can promise."  
"What kind of a ship is it?"  
"A very good one. Fastest I've ever seen, and much, much faster than any navy boat, there's the thing. She's called the Black Pearl."  
"Mr Gibbs, forgive me for saying this, but it all seems a bit piratical."  
"I wouldn't say they were pirates in the stealing ships sense, more the not-exactly-on-the-right-side-of-the-law type. Good men, and I know the Captain personally."  
"Oh gosh," cut in Elizabeth suddenly, and both men started as they remembered she was there. "Pirates!"

A strange looking young man stood at the top of the gangplank, watching the older man, the apparently ageless Gibbs and the little girl stumble up the steps. He looked in his teens, but he was very small. He could be older.  
"Jack," said Gibbs sharply at the standing boy. "Fetch your father, would you?"  
He nodded, shooting another curious glance at the little family.  
"Captain Teague," he called, knocking on the cabin door. "The passengers are here."  
"Captain Teague's not here, lad." cut another man striding past him. "He's drunk himself silly. Again. My name is Hector Barbossa. I'm the first mate."  
"Good evening. Is there a place Elizabeth can go? She's falling asleep on her feet."  
"O' course," said the first mate, his voice rasping almost musically as he bowed over-eccentrically, taking off his ridiculous and apparently moth eaten hat at the sight of the tiny lady. "We have a cabin boy, if that's appropriate. I'm sure it's not, but it's the best place I can think of, considering the Captain's passed out. For now, anyways."  
"I'll go wake him up, shall I?" asked Jack, with the air someone fed up of being ignored. Elizabeth stared at his receding figure. How could a boy possibly wear paint around his eyes, or have his hair so long and mad, or wear so many trinkets around his arms? Or worse, in his hair!  
"I'm sure Mr Gibbs informed you of our slightly sub-legal status?"  
"Yes, and it does rather worry me in relation to my daughter."  
"On the contrary," she interrupted, with the unfortunate shrillness of her voice making her wince inwardly. "I find it all fascinating!"  
"Yes, that what's worries me."  
"This is a very safe ship, for a pirate ship, Mr Swann. Captain Teague is a gentleman. A pirate lord, don't you know, the pirate lord of Madagascar!"  
A bottle crashed out of the open door of the Captain's cabin, followed closely by Jack, who landed on his head with a crash. Gibbs jogged up the stairs and helped him to his feet. "Not in a good mood then, Jack?" Jack shook his head and rubbed his arm angrily.  
"He's not usually like that." said Barbossa quickly. "That's just his son. He and the cabin boy share a little cupboard, she can have that."  
"I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with-"  
"Until we can shift the Captain from his bunk, it's the best." said Jack, leaning against the rail. "I can show her, although it may involve shifting the cabin boy. He won't mind."  
He put his hand out to Elizabeth, who took it gladly. It was rough and dirty, but she didn't mind.  
"Gentleman like me old dad, I am." he joked, leading her into the ship. "And so's the rest of the crew, however rough they may appear, that I promise you."  
"Why do you wear all that paint around your eyes?"  
"Singapore."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Pirate."  
"Pardon?"  
"Sea turtles, love."  
She found herself lost for words, and Jack opened the door on a cupboard and a boy about her age asleep on a pile of sails, snoring softly and sprawled ungracefully. "Oi, Will, wake up." Jack said, kicking the pile of sails. "There's a lady here what wants our bunk, so we're moving, savvy?"  
"Eh?"  
Jack rolled his eyes and grabbed Will by the back of his collar, hauling him to his feet, then pointed at Elizabeth. "Oh! Sorry, miss. My name's Will Turner."  
"Elizabeth Swann." She waited for Jack to meander off, then sat down next to him, eyes shining. "Is this really a pirate ship?"  
"Sort of. I mean, I think so. I've never seen them steal anything worse than food and water, but-"  
"They don't look like normal sailors."  
"You must be thinking of Navy. My father looked like that even before he was a pirate. He worked on a merchant ship, see, and then Captain Teague goes in, all guns blazing, steals what supplies they have and offers any man who wants it a job aboard his ship instead. And rather than go on half rations and bad pay the rest of the way back to harbour, my dad took it."  
"How come you're here?"  
"It's a better life." said Will simply, blushing. "Than what we had. My dad says he might find me and apprenticeship once we arrive in Port Royal. Is it true that you're running away?"  
"Running away?!"  
He went a tiny bit redder, stammering an apology. "Mr Gibbs said that you and your father had to run away."  
"We're making a tactical retreat."  
" 'course you are."  
"What's it like then? Being a pirate?"  
Will frowned for a moment, like it had never occurred to him before. "Captain Teague's a good man. There are worst pirates, even pirate lords. The one in Singapore's already got a price on Jack's head, and he-"  
"What did Jack do?"  
"I don't know, I wasn't there. That man really hates him though."  
"Will?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What's that necklace?" She pointed to a gleaming disc of gold that hung around his neck. It was carved with a skull and crossbones, among other, stranger, signals. "Barbossa gave everyone in the crew one, only we're not allowed to spend it. He says it's cursed, and that's why the monkey's immortal."  
"The monkey's immortal!" Elizabeth's tones were downright incredulous. "Yep. Jack shoots at it for fun, when no one's watching. Except maybe Gibbs, he doesn't mind him, it's just that my dad doesn't approve of guns, the Captain doesn't approve of Jack shooting them, and Barbossa doesn't approve of Jack shooting them at his monkey."  
"He must be a bad shot. That monkey's not immortal."  
"I'll show you, if you want. In the moonlight you can see it's bones and rotting flesh..." He stopped at the look on her face. "Sorry." he mumbled. "I forget you were... I don't know, a LADY."  
Elizabeth looked at him very seriously. It was almost comical.  
"I'm going to go to sleep now. It's probably past midnight."  
"Oh." He stood up, clearing out of what was now her cabin. "Goodnight."  
"Goodnight, Mr Turner."

She waited until he'd gone before letting her little brow furrow delicately and pulling her knees as far towards her chest as petticoats and corsets would allow. "I'm not a lady. I'm a pirate."


End file.
